Conveyer



Jan. 5, 1937,

H. P. ANDERSON CONVEYER Filed Sept. 25, 1935 INVENTOR] HowandPflfldenson MLUZMV ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 5, 1937 Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated, acorporation of Delaware Application September. 25, 1 935, SeriaI No.41,976 11 Claims. (01. 198-15) 1 My invention relates to improvements inconveyers ofthe type comprising a screw rotatably "mounted in atrough-like conduit and especially to a fuel conveyer for a stoker.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel conveyer of thetype described having a maximum conveying action with a minimum ofpulverization of the material conveyed.

.Anotherpbject of the invention is to provide a novel fuel conveyer-ofthe type described wherein the lumps of fuel are largely confined tothatside of the trough along which the screw exerts the greatest "fueladvancing action.

Other and more specific objects of the invention residing inadvantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts will hereinafterappear and be pointed out in the claims.

, In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view-through a portion of alocomotive tender with the novel conveyer mounted beneath the fuel binthereof and shown in similarsection';

Figure 2 is a plan view of the conveyer, the tender being omitted;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line -3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 isiaisectional view similar to the view shown in Figure 3,illustrating a modified form of the invention.

For convenience in description, the :invention has been shown in thedrawing as applied to the tender unit of a locomotive stoker.

In the :preferredform of the device, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, alocomotive tender is indiwhich .are so arranged that they may be drawnforward one at a time 'as the coal is consumed to present a relativelysmall opening in the desired position 'in the floor of the bin.

7 The coal is conveyed from the trough-like conduit M to a point ofdelivery, as to the firebox of a locomotive, by a conveying systemincluding a conduit, a portion of which is shown at [8. The trough-likeconduit It is provided with a spherical extension 19 rigid therewith,and by providing the rearward end of the conduit 18 with a complementaryspherical socket member 20 adapted to receive the spherical extension I9toform therewith a ball and socket joint, universal movement betweentheconduits l4 audit is provided; Spiral feed screws 21 "and 22 arerespectively disposed in the conduits I4 and 18 for advancing or feedingfuel' :therethrough. The screws are rotated through gearing 28 disposedin a casing 29 at the rear of the trough-like conduit l4.

.It'is well known that in conveying material through a conduit by meansof a screw, the advancing-action of the screwis greater along one sideof the conduit than the other. In the construction illustrated in thedrawing, the flight of the screw is 'wound in a manner so that fuel willbe advanced through the trough-like conduit I4 when the screw, viewedfrom its rearward end as in Figure 3, is rotated in a counterclockwisedirection. With this arrangement, again referring to Figure '3, thescrew will exert a greater fuel advancing action alongthe right side ofthe troughlike conduit l4; Now, since thescrew is rotating in acounterclockwisedirection there is a tendency for the fuel to becarriedover the hub of the screw to the left side of the conduit l4. On theleft side of the conduit M, the flight of the screw exerts a forward anddownward pressure on the fuel, which in the usual type of trough wedgesthe lumps of fuel between the screw flight and the wall of the conduitand crushes them.

In the present construction a bar '23 extends longitudinally "along theupper inner marginal edge of the left side of the trough-like conduit,being mounted in bearings 24 for rotative movement. .A plurality ofspaced projections 25 formed with the bar 23 extend inwardly anddownwardly of the conduit, terminating at their free ends near the upperleft side of the periphery of'the screw flight. Stop members 26 formedwith the bar 23 limit the downward movement of the projections 25 bycontacting the side wall of the conduit I4. This is the normal positionof the projections 25 when the'screw is advancing fuel through theconduit. The-projections 25 may, however, be swung upwardly with the bar23 as an axis to permit removal of clogs and to permit reversal of thescrew when the conduit is filled with fuel without causing packing offuel against the projections 25. V I

' When the screw 2| is rotated in a direction to advance fuel throughtheconduit it, that is, in a counterclockwise direction, the projections25 prevent the larger lumps of fuel delivered from the bin through theopening I 5 and lumps of fuel that are carried over the hub of the screwfrom the right to the left side of the conduit from dropping down to thelower left side of the conledge 3|.

duit where they would be crushed to an undesirable extent. Theprojections furthermore keep the bulk of the fuel on the right side ofthe conduit M, where the conveying action of the screw is mosteffective. On the right side of the conduit, the flight of the screw 2|exerts a forward and upward pressure on the fuel, and since the largerlumps cannot fall over to the bottom of the left side of the conduit,they float along with the fuel stream as the screw advances the fuel.

The right side wall of the trough-like conduit i 1 I4 is provided with aset back forming a ledge 21,

increasing the carrying capacity of the conduit on that side where theconveying action of ,the.

screw is most effective. This ledge is at about support or platformalong which the fuel is urged by the screw preventing undue abrasion ofthe larger lumps of fuel by limiting the amount of surface of the lumpsof fuel that contacts the screw flight. V

In Figure 4' is illustrated a modified form of trough-like conduit,wherein a plurality of steps are formed in the right side wall of theconduit providing a plurality of ledges or platforms 30, 3| and 32, eacha respectively greater distance from the periphery of the screw flight.In other respects, the'cons'truction is the same as in the preferredform of the invention. In the modified form of construction, the upperledge 32 will form a partial support for the larger lumps'tof fuel,while the intermediate ledge3l will form a partial support for the lumpsof fuel that drop between the screw and the ledge 32 and are too largeto drop between the screw and the ledge 3|, and the lower ledge 30 formsa support for the fuel that drops between the screw and the Thus, thevarious sized lumps of fuel are each provided with a support tending toprevent wedging of the fuel between the screw and the side wall of theconduit and thereby minimizing abrasion of the lumps of fuel.

I claim:

1. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough having upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough and means includingfingers on the side wall of said trough on the descending side ofsaid'screw, said fingers spaced lengthwise of the trough and extendingdownwardly and inwardly toward the periphery of said screw.

' 2. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough having upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough, a fuel retainingmember extending lengthwise of the trough pivotally mounted on alongitudinal axis at a level above the screw adjacent the side wall ofthe trough on the descending side of the screw, and means for limitingthe downward pivotal movement of said member, said member at the lowerlimit of its movement having its free end adjacent the upper peripheryof the screw.

3. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough having upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough, the side wall of thetrough on the descending side of the screw having a longitudinallyextending shaft mounted thereon above the level of the screw andarranged for axial rotation, said shaft having a plurality oflongitudinally spaced fingers movable with said shaft and means forlimiting the downward pivotal movement of said shaft and fingers, saidfingers at the lower limit of their movement having their free endsadjacent the upper periphery of the screw.

4. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough having upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough, the side wall ofsaid trough on the descending side of said screw being provided withfingers spaced lengthwise of the trough and extending downwardly andinwardly toward the periphery of said screw, and the side wall of saidtrough on the ascending side of said screw being provided with a shelfextending lengthwise of the trough.

5. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough having upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough, a fuel retaining..member extending lengthwise of the trough pivotally. mounted on alongitudinal axis at a level the level of the axis of the screw 2| andforms a] above the screw adjacent the side wall of the trough on thedescending side of the screw and means for limiting the downward pivotalmovement of said member, said member at the lower limit of its movementhaving its free end adjacent the upper periphery of the screw, and theside wall of said trough on the ascending side of said screw beingprovided with a shelf extending lengthwise of the trough.

6. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough having upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough, the side wall of thetrough on the descending side of the screw having a longitudinallyextending shaft mounted thereon above the level of the screw andarranged for axial rotation, said shaft having a plurality oflongitudinally spaced fingers movable with said shaft and means forlimiting the downward pivotal movement of said shaft and fingers, saidfingers at the lower limit of their movement having their free endsadjacent the upper periphery of the screw, and the side wall of saidtrough on the ascending side of Said screw being provided with a shelfextending lengthwise of the trough.

7. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough havingv upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough, the side wall ofsaid trough on the descending side of said screw being provided withfingers spaced lengthwise of the trough and extending downwardly andinwardly toward the periphery of. said screw, and the side wall of saidtrough on the ascending side of said screw being provided with a shelfat about the level of the axis of said screw and extending lengthwise ofthe trough.

8. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough having upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough, a fuel retainingmember extending lengthwise of the trough pivotally mounted on alongitudinal axis at a level above the screw adjacent the side wall ofthe trough on the descending side of the screw and means for limitingthe downward pivotal movement of. said member, said member at the lowerlimit of its movement having its free end adjacent the upper peripheryof the screw, and the side wall of said trough on the ascending side ofsaid .screw being provided with a shelf at about the level of the axisof said screw and extending lengthwise of the trough.

9. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough having upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough, the side wall of thetrough on the descending side of the screw having a longitudinallyextending shaft mounted thereon above the level of the screw andarranged for axial rotation, said shaft having a plurality oflongitudinally spaced fingers movable with said shaft and means forlimiting the downward pivotal movement of said shaft and fingers,saidfingers at the lower limit of their movement having their free endsadjacent the upper periphery of the screw, and the side wall of saidtrough on the ascending side of said screw being provided with a shelfat about the level of the axis of said screw and extending lengthwiseof'the trough.

10. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough having upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough, the side wall ofsaid trough on the descending side of said screw being provided with afuel retaining member extending lengthwise of the trough and projectingdownwardly and inwardly toward the periphery of. said screw, and theside wall of said trough on the ascending side of said screw beingprovided with a plurality of steps.

11. A fuel conveyer comprising a trough having upwardly extending sidewalls and a screw rotatably mounted in said trough, the side wall of thetrough on the descending side of the screw having a longitudinallyextending shaft mounted thereon above the level of the screw andarranged for axial rotation, said shaft having a plurality oflongitudinally spaced fingers movable with said shaft and means forlimiting the downward pivotal movement of said shaft and fingers, saidfingers at the lower limit of their movement having their free endsadjacent the upper periphery of the screw, and the side wall of saidtrough on the ascending side of said screw being provided with aplurality of steps.

HOWARD P. ANDERSON.

